Good Test For Benitez To Get Magpies Back On Track

Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez was not a very happy man after the final whistle yesterday when it was the second game in a row that was a huge surprise – this time on the negative side.

It followed out biggest road win since 1962 when we hammered QPR on Tuesday night but for some reason that win affected our players and they made fart too many mistakes yesterday and got what they deserved – a defeat.

Rafa Benitez – can get Magpies back on track That’s the third defeat in eight league games but as long as we keep winning games we can still amass quite a few points this season.

This is some of what an unhappy Rafa Benitez said on nufcTV after the game:

“The good thing when you have another game soon is that you can try to do things in the same way that you were doing before.”

“This is the league, the next one will be the cup competition.We are not very happy now and we have to concentrate on the next game and try to do things in the same way that we did before.”

This will be a good challenge for Rafa Benitez to get Newcastle back on track quickly, with hopefully a win on Tuesday night in the EFL Cup 3rd round against Wolves.

Then we have three league games through October 1st before the two week International break – and the results of those games will give us a decent idea of how we can do this season.

Three wins in those games are really what we need to get completely back on track.

As my pre match post hinted, there was always a danger of this happening. Anybody blaming Rafa’s tactics wasn’t watching the same game as I was. This was soundly down to players having a bad day – after the Lord Mayor’s show. Rafa can’t be blamed, nor should he be, when professional footballers somehow lose the ability to trap a ball, control it meaningfully or make a ten yard pass. I had a horrible feeling this might happen. Not so much the result, but the performance. I still thought we could win, but it clearly wasn’t going to be the cakewalk people were expecting. That said, it’s not the end of the world ffs. People get carried away after a good win, then go to the other end of the spectrum after a loss. We ain’t gonna win every game. Get over it. I’ve made my point on booing before. Apart from how stupid people look imitating a cow, it doesn’t help and never has. The last thing we want is players being nervous about playing at home, yet that is exactly what we’ll get. I’m pretty sure the players know how bad they played without any input from us. It’s your choice of course, but just remember it doesn’t help anybody. It never has and it never will. Yesterday was a real shocking performance, but we have the right man in charge to put it right. We have no more right to win games in this league as any of the other clubs. We need to earn that right – as we did at Loftus Road. Bad game. Nobody shone really and just as we win as a team, we also lose as one. Put it behind us and win the next game, because the next game is the one we can influence. Anybody expecting us to steamroll this league – I mean seriously, not in a joking manner – isn’t being realistic. We’re one of 24 teams fighting for promotion and nobody is going to roll over for us. My advice would be to get behind the team 100%, win lose or draw.

I might have gone with a big man up front Ron, but apart from that the team he put out was good enough on paper. The main problem imo was the sudden loss of ability that the same players have shown previously to have. I lost count of the times players failed to control the ball without any real pressure on them. Match that with an inability to pick even a ten yard pass out and you have a recipe for failure. I’ve put it down to a bad day at the office mate from all concerned. I’m pretty sure Rafa didn’t say ‘pass to their players every chance you get’, but sadly that’s what happened. Once over the line, a manager has to rely on his players to follow his plan. That clearly wasn’t his plan! Typical Newcastle really. Just as typical will be for us to turn the same team over on Tuesday night. Games like this happen to all teams, but it’s how they respond that really matters.

I actually thought the crowd were very patient. After going a goal down there was no booing or getting on the player’s backs. Fans still expected us to make a come back and they were still singing the Rafa song. After the second goal the crowd were understandably antagonistic but I still didn’t hear any booing!

Sadly I heard it Martoon. Glad to have caught you actually. I trust that as I picked Arma to be Newcastle’s top scorer, his goals at Barnsley still count? He is a Newcastle player and the goals are in the same league after all. Chances are he’ll come back in January, so goals scored should carry over.

Bobby I agree with you but the thing that disappointed me was why Rafa didn’t try and change things at half time. Maybe bring on Mitro and Atzu but he kept it the same and we were as bad second half as we were the first.

Martoon, I think Rafa likes to give players a chance to put things right before making changes. It’s not like we were getting battered after all. Wolves were as bad as us, apart from gifting us goals. Nobody can account for an own goal, or Perez giving the ball away too close to our own penalty area. He was poor again, after looking better at QPR – but then, he wasn’t alone! These games happen to all clubs mate, let’s see how we respond next time out.

Bobby good question that I hadn’t thought about – go on then I’ll allow it as it is the same league be different if it was say an easier French league. Anybody complains I’ll take my ball and go home 🙂

Mart, wouldn’t even ask if he was playing in an inferior league matey, but he’s scoring against the same opposition after all. I thank you for that anyway – a fine choice if I may add. 🙂 He scored another cracker yesterday, just highlighting what we’re missing – a purely instinctive striker.

Good try, but I don’t think that that idea is going to swing the top scorer spot, he aint scoring them for us!

All I saw of the game other than the limited highlights Saturday night, was the periscope version and for the ten or so minutes I watched until the Mbemba own goal I thought we were doing ok. Obviously from what I’ve been reading we weren’t.

My prediction of only 5 losses this season isn’t looking to good at the moment. Still no one should be thinking of jumping off the Tyne Bridge yet, the season is still young and we are in a good position squad wise.

Might see the other contenders start to struggle once they start getting the inevitable injuries that go with this league.

I don’t recall hearing any booing yesterday. Usually, when there is booing, it’s from a minority. But even if there is booing, so what? It happens when fans aren’t happy with the performance. It’s a way some fans choose to give the players a jolt. The players and manager understand that.

The boo boys are a minority and not a true reflection on our fanbase. I’ve never booed, simply because nobody forces me to pay for a ST – I make that choice. If I’m that unhappy I can always stop going after all. I want our players to be comfortable playing at home, not nervous. Some of our fans expect too much sometimes, but a lot of them only turn up when they expect us to win easily. When they don’t get their own way, they sulk. 🙂 We have an important job to do for the team and that’s to lift them. Before booing people need to think about its long term effects imo

There was an element who booed, which I thought was ridiculous as you can’t play well every game and their two goals were literally gifted to them. It was poor all round, but it wasn’t the shambles that we’ve seen week after week before under the other jokers.

It should also be noted that at the end of the game, a lot of those who didn’t sneak off early gave some good backing to the team as well with some songs, regardless off the loss.

As a few of us have said before, if pardew is given the fast powerhouse players he wants for his style of football he will get them to mid table or a bit lower. Cocky sod and hope they go down with the mackems but if he keeps them fit i think they will fine.

LR32, like I said mate, some of the fans only turn up when they expect us to win comfortably and cry when we don’t. Totally irrelevant fans. The majority get gehind the team and will be there through thick and thin. The fans that really matter. Fully expect Rafa and the boys to bounce back after that though. 🙂 Can’t see us being that bad twice, just as I didn’t expect another 6-0 walkover yesterday. Spuds totally dominating scum, but need to be careful not to get caught out. Spuds have had about 20 shots to scum’s three, which kinda sums it up.

Bobby, I was hoping for a comfortable win, like most were, but things like this happen. It’s not a problem, it’s all part of the development. The long term trend is still a positive one, and that’s what matters.

As I said yesterday, they closed down well throughout the game but I didn’t really see them scoring apart from the odd scare which is natural during the game. It was more like a 0-0 if anything, but they were gifted those two on a plate and that won’t happen every time for them.

LR, about sums it up mate. We couldn’t string three passes together, but Rafa will sort them out. That’s why he’s won what he’s won in the past. 0-0 would have been the result, had we not been in such a generous mood.

Don’t know if it’s been mentioned on here but as I was driving back after the game, Rafa was very late in doing the Radio Newcastle interview because he had the players locked in the dressing room for over half an hour, if not longer.

health update

My latest checkup was yesteday and after a battery of tests the results show the cancer remains stabilized and has not spread further.

Some background - I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in February 2017 after being in remission for six years. and I completed four months of intense chemotherapy in late July.

The cancer metastasized through the bones and one treatment available I am undergoing is hormone treatment.

There is no cure for Stage 4 cancer and I will continue to have exhaustive blood tests about every three months and CAT-scans and bone-scans when necessary.

I will do my best under the circumstances and I take this as another challenge - a big one.

Ed Harrison

Comments

The purpose of the comments is to allow Newcastle United fans and others to express their views on the news of the day concerning the Newcastle United Football Club.

We'd ask that you be civil towards other readers and refrain from obscene language and any comments on religion, ethnic groups or politics.

Let's make this work - and let's help the Newcastle United Football Club become great again.

Ed Harrison

Kacper Tylenda Website Designer

One of our avid readers Kacper Tylenda from Poland was the person who came in during April, 2017 and redesigned this web-site from top to bottom.

We think he did a fantastic job to modernize the site with the roll-out on Thursday May 18th surprisingly smooth.

I am so appreciative of his help.

Kacper is starting his own business in web-design so if you want a website built or know of people who want to redo their sites in any way – here’s his portfolio.

football club

It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city. It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.